Talib Kweli Quotes
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There just needs to be a gay rapper. He doesn't have to be flamboyant, just a rapper who identifies as gay - who's better than everybody. Unfortunately hip-hop is so competitive that in order for fringe groups to get in, you gotta be better than whoever's the best.
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I tour whether I have album out or not. I tour more than any other hip-hop artist.
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I started rapping because I wanted people to hear what I have to say, I want as many people to hear me as possible, and I do everything in my power to make that pop.
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Consider me the entity within the industry without a history of spitting the epitome of stupidity.
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But it becomes disrespectful when the artist's process is not respected.
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As far as being on a major label, some labels get it and get what they have to do, and some labels don't. I don't think the label I'm on necessarily gets it, but I think over time they're gonna have to.
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Things are fluid in this world, and if you don't remain fluid, you get lost in the sauce.
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It doesn't get any more underground, conscious or indie than Macklemore, Ryan Lewis, but because they got a couple of really big pop hits, actually some of the biggest pop hits that hip-hop has ever seen, people are missing that part of their story. People are not counting that blessing.
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What's more condescending and corny than someone telling you how much more money they have than you and telling you basically, 'I don't care about poor people,' which is a large part of what you hear of corporate hip-hop on the radio.
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I think hip-hop is no more misogynistic than America is as a society. I just think hip-hop is a lot more brash, a lot more bold, a lot more loquacious. There are a lot more words that go into a hip-hop song than go into a regular song.
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Honestly, you have to take care of yourself. That's probably something I have learned on the road.
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Woman are complex creatures.
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You gotta eat right, you gotta have healthy habits, you know, and balance out your decadence with a healthy lifestyle during the day.
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The way I see it, if people truly love my music, they will support me in some way down the road.
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When I look at the arc of my career, my focus is on lyricism, right? I own that.
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I think people are into me because of my music choices and my musicality.
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Being called 'conscious' is a great thing to be, but it's the connotations and preconceived notions that come with the buying audience about what conscious music can be.
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Life is a beautiful struggle People search through the rubble for a suitable hussle Some people using their noodle Some people using their muscle Some people put it all together make it fit like a puzzle
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That's what hip-hop is: It's sociology and English put to a beat, you know.
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I'm not looking to set a standard... but, I believe I have offered a challenge to others with my work.
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My personal take on politics is I deal with social situations and cultural situations in my music and in my life. I have said on record many times that I haven't voted. I'm not the type of person who says, 'I'm never going to vote.' I think it's clear to me that our system has failed us.
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At exactly which point do you start to realize, that life without knowledge is death in disguise?
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You know, there's a lot of activism that doesn't deal with empowerment, and you have to empower yourself in order to be relevant to any type of struggle.
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I met Mos Def around that time but I didn't hook up with him until I was about 17 or 18.